Exhaust-muffler.



PATENTBD MAR. 31, 1903. w. J. PERKINS. a EXHAUST MUFFLER. APPLICATIONFILED DEU- 20, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

lll ll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS J. PERKINS, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

EXHAUST-MUFFLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,124, dated March31, 1903.

Application filed December 20, 1901. Serial No. 86,704. (No model.)

To alt whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS J. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exhaust-Mufflers;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in exhaust-muiflers forcombustible-vapor engines; and its object is to provide means forreducing the noise caused by the escape of theexhaust from such anengine, to eliminate the risk of fire from the exhaust, to reduce theback pressure on the engine due to the ordinary form of muffler, and toprovide the device withcert'ain new and useful features hereinafter morefully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention consists, essentially, of a vessel containing a suitablefluid and means for forcing the exhaust from a combustible-vapor engineto pass through said fluid and in the combination and arrangement ofparts, as hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of a device embodyin'g myinvention shown on a reduced scale and connected to an engine. Fig. 2 isan enlarged vertical section of the muffler, taken on the line 2 2 ofFig. 3; and Fig. 3, a horizontal section of the same, taken on the line3 3 of Fig. 2.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

A represents any engine operated by the combustion of a vapor in itscylinder.

A is the exhaust-pipe of the engine, which pipe is connected to theintake-pipe of the muffler.

Bis a pipe by which the cooling fl uid escapes from the engine. Thispipe is connected to the pipe J of the muffler and supplies the mufflerwith said fluid, or said mulfler may be supplied from any convenientsource with a fluid. The outer vessel may be of any convenient shape orconstruction and must be strong enough to hold the pressure and tightenough to hold the fluid. I prefer to construct it of a shortcylindrical shell 0 and heads The head D has a central opening for the Idownward escape of the exhaust and is submerged in the fluid. Theexhaust from the engine is admitted to this inner vessel in anyconvenient manner. I prefer substantially the means shown, consisting ofa pipe E, submerged in the fluid and extending to near the middle of thedevice and thence upward within the inner vessel and open at the top. Iprefer to provide the ports F for such opening. I also prefer to passthe exhaust through the fluid more than once and also to cool the innervessel, and for this purpose I provide a tray above the said vessel. Ifind it most convenient to form this tray by extending the sides D abovethe upper head I. The fluid may be supplied to this tray in anyconvenient manner; but I have shown a vertical pipe J between the outerand inner vessels and provided with a cap J, attached to the side of thetray, and an opening or port K through the side of the cap and tray, thebottom of this opening being close to the head I to facilitate drainageof the tray. To force the exhaust through the contents of this tray, Iprovide a downwardlyprojecting flange M, with the lower edge submergedin the fluid in the tray. This flange may be integral with the upperhead L or attached thereto, as may be most convenient, thus forming aclosed chamber, within which is the open end of an escape-pipe to conveythe exhaust out of the device. This escapepipe may extend outward in anydirection from within this chamber.

it downward through the vertical portion E of the inlet-pipe, as at G,and thence horizontally outward beneath the inner vessel and submergedin the fluid, as at G. To limit the quantity of fluid in the lower partof the device, I provide an overflow-opening Q at the desired level.This opening is pref- I prefer to carry erably located in the upper sideof the escapepipe G.

I do not desire to limit my specification or claims to the preciseconstruction shown, as it is obvious that many modifications may he madewhich would be substantially equivalents of my device without departingfrom the spirit of my invention; also, that any suitable fluid otherthan the cooling-water from the engine may be used, or any other sourceof supply of the same may be utilized.

The operation of my device is as follows: The fluid used (preferably thecooling-water from the engine) flows through the pipe J into the trayabove the inner vessel and filling the same overflows at the top of thetray, thence downward over the sides of the inner vessel in a thin sheetand accumulates in the outer vessel, rising into the bottom of the innervessel through the central opening D in the bottom until it reaches thelevel of the opening Q, through which it overflows and passes out of themuffler. Thus at all times the tray above the inner vessel and the lowerpart of the inner vessel contain a predetermined amount of fluid, and aconstant flow of the fluid is maintained through the device.

The course of the exhaust or products of combustion is indicated by thearrows in Fig. 2. It enters through the pipeE and passing upward in thepipe E escapes through the ports F into the inner vessel D, thencepassing downward through the central opening in the bottom D of theinner vessel, thence laterally outward through the ,fluid and beneaththe bottom D, thence upward between the inner and outer vessels and overthe top of the latter, thence under the edge of the flange M and throughthe fluid in the tray, thence through the ports II, down the pipe G, outthrough the pipe G, being finally mingled with the fluid escapingthrough the overflow-opening Q.

The following results are produced: The submerged pipe E partially coolsthe exhaust. It is next expanded within the inner vessel and furthercooled and condensed. Said vessel being covered with fluid at the top,sides, and bottom is thus cooled and the vibration absorbed. The exhaustis now passed through the fluid a considerable distance as it escapeslaterally beneath the inner vessel,and the submergence being slight butlittle back pressure on the engine is produced thereby. The exhaust thenrises around the inner vessel and is further cooled by direct contactwith the fluid flowing over the vessel. It is then again passed throughthe fresh and cooler fluid in the tray above the inner vessel andfinally escapes by Way of the escape-pipes, taking up in a spray thefluid that overflows through the opening Q. The pulsation and noise ofthe exhaust are thus absorbed, and all flame and heat are removedtherefrom.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the exhaust-pipe ot a combustible-vapor engine, avessel containing a cooling liquid or fluid and a substantiallyflatsurface arranged horizontally therein, to guide the exhaust throughsaid liquid or fluid, substaiiitially as described.

2. In combination with the exhaust-pipe of acombustible-vaporengine,twoor more tanks arranged one within the other in series, means forpartially filling the same with a fluid of regulated depth, means forpassing the exhaust through said tanks in succession, and means forpassing the exhaust downward through the fluid, as it escapes from onetank to another, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a combustible-vapor engine and the exhaust-pipeof the same, an inner vessel, an outer vessel inclosing the same, andtwo separate volumes of water contained in said vessels, and meanswhereby the exhaust charges are forced to pass through said volumes ofwateriu succession, substantially as described.

4. In an exhaust-mutfler, a vessel to contain a liquid, a horizontalplate submerged in said liquid, and means for forcing the exhaust fromthe engine to traverse the under side of the plate, and to pass throughthe liquid, substantially as described.

5. In an exhaust-muffler, a closed vessel to contain a limited quantityof liquid at the bottom, a tray near the top of said vessel, means forsupplying liquidto the tray and vessel, and means for forcing theexhaust to pass through the said respective quantities of liquid,substantially as described.

6. In an exhaust-muffler, the combination of an outer vessel adapted tocontain a limited amount of liquid, an inner vessel of less dimensionsthan the outer vessel and partially submerged in the liquid and havingan opening at the bottom, an intake-pipe opening into the upper part ofthe inner vessel, and an outlet-pipe opening into the upper part of theouter vessel, substantially as described. Y

7. In an exhaustam'uffler, an outer vessel adapted to contain a limitedamount of fluid at the bottom, an inner vessel having an opening in thebottom, and partially submerged in the said fluid, a traylat the top ofthe inner vessel, means for supplying fluid to. the tray, an inlet-pipeopening "into the upper part of the inner vessel, and an outlet-pipeopening into the upper part of the outer vessel, substantially asdescribed.

8. In an exhaust-muflier, a vessel adapted to contain a fluid and havingan overflow-opening near the bottom, an inner vessel of less dimensions,and provided with an openingin the bottom, and partially submerged inthe fluid, a tray at the top to contain a fluid, means for supplyingfluid to the tray, a flange extending downward within the tray and withits lower edge submerged in the fluid in the tray, and an outlet'openingabove the tray and within the flange, substantially as described.

9. In an exhaust.-mu1fler,an outer closed vessel, an inlet-pipeextending horizontally near the bottom of said vessel, and thenceextending vertically in the axis of the same, and

. having openings near the top, an inner vessel ing in the outlet-pipe,a flange extending downward within the tray, and a pipe to supply fluidto the tray, substantially as described.

10. In an exhaust-muffler, a tray tocontain a fluid, means for supplyingthe fluid to the tray, a closed vessel surrounding the tray, a flangeattached to the top of the vessel and having its lower edge below thetop of the tray and submerged in the fluid, means for admitting theexhaust to the closed vessel, and outside the flange and tray, and anescape-pipe opening into the closed vessel within the flange and abovethe tray, substantially as described.

11. In an exhaust-muffler, the combination of an outer vessel having abottom provided with a raised middle portion, a tray supported withinsaid vessel, a pipe extending vertically from the tray, and through thebottom, and a port in the side of the tray, and close to the bottomthereof and opening into the pipe, whereby the vessel and tray may bereadily drained, substantially as described.

12. In an exhaust-muflier, the combination of a closed outer vesselhaving a bottom with a raised central portion, an inner Vessel hav-. inga tray at the top, a cap attached to the side of the tray and having alateral opening into the tray, and a pipe connected to the cap, wherebythe vessel and tray may be drained, substantially as described.

13. In an exhaust-muffler, a cylindrical case, heads at each end of thecase, a pipe in the axis of the case and attached to the respectiveheadsto strengthen the same, and a'lateral extension of the pipe extendingthrough the side of the case, and ports in the pipe, substantially asdescribed. I

14. In an exhaust-muffler, the combination of an outer cylindricalvessel having heads at each end, an inlet-pipe extending through theside of the vessel and thence upward in the axis thereof, an escapepipeextending vertically in the axis of the vertical part of the inlet-pipeand attached to the respective heads and having a lateral extensionpassing through the side of the vessel, lateral ports at the top of theescape-pipe, an inner vessel surrounding the vertical pipes and having abottom opening, a tray at the top of the in ner vessel, a cap attachedto the side of the tray, an opening through the side of the tray andcap, and a pipe connected to the cap, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS J. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

J. W. BROWN, PALMER A. J ONES.

